Use industrial IoT, AI, machine learning, big data, cloud/edge computing and mixed reality to develop intelligent manufacturing applications.
Smart Manufacturing Industrial Informatics Major
A major in the Manufacturing Engineering Technology Program
in the School of Engineering Technology
Designing and building technology driven, smart processes and equipment requires engineers who have combined strengths in Mechanical, Computer, and Electrical Technology. Industry is seeking engineers with this unique combination of skills to optimize their facilities and improve efficiencies through the incorporation of smart technologies.
The Smart Manufacturing Industrial Informatics major is a hybrid of mechanical, computer, and electrical engineering technologies that focuses on the application of science, engineering, information systems and computing in manufacturing. Students pursuing this major incorporate Industry 4.0 technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), big data analytics, cloud/edge computing, augmented reality (AR), systems modeling and simulation, as well as autonomous human robot systems, additive manufacturing (3D printing and cybersecurity. Graduates of this major are prepared to work as digital manufacturing engineers, manufacturing data analysts, process automation engineers, and smart factory managers.
Industrial Informatics harnesses the power and possibility of digital technology to transform data and information into knowledge to enhance industrial fabrication and manufacturing processes that achieve higher efficiency, effectiveness, reliability and security in the industrial environment. The program places a strong focus on the human use of computing to help people interact with technology in industrial environments in the best and most efficient way possible.
These technologies, combined with our leading-edge, immersive, hands-on environments, provide students with the hardware and tools to build, develop, prototype and test their innovative projects.
The Polytechnic’s collaboration with such industry leaders as Microsoft, Rockwell Automation, General Mills and Caterpillar ensures that the newest technologies are integrating into the curriculum, enabling our students to learn in physical and virtual representations of the factories of the future, while they use the latest industrial-grade equipment, applications and processes. Students can even spend time in a lab to develop their own products that could eventually go to market.
Smart Learning Factory
On-campus learning factories are real, high-tech manufacturing facilities. Students implement their Industry 4.0 classroom lessons in – such as cloud computing, robotics, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) – to build actual products. Incorporating access to a learning factory expands the students’ understanding of the manufacturing process and prepares them for a high-tech career in manufacturing management.
Aligned with the over-arching Learning Factory, the manufacturing ecosystem consists of three companion facilities that are linked via networks and data streams for real-time information and analytics. Each facility fulfills its own manufacturing need – such as supplying analytics or training, or producing sub-assemblies or end products – thereby completing the supply chain.
Our production facilities exist thanks to a partnership with the Intelligent Manufacturing Advisory Board.
The Learning Factory is comprised of three elements:
Smart Foundry
The Polytechnic Smart Factory is a working, smart cyber-physical production system (CPPS), that incorporates sensor-embedded, smart micro-manufacturing for metal-casting and small-batch component-making. Here, students design, implement and develop smart manufacturing competencies in an ecosystem of horizontally and vertically integrated processes, while sourcing, designing and assembling production components. Activities feature integration between humans, machines, products and processes, while using system interconnectivity, intelligence and real-time data.
Intelligent Process Manufacturing Laboratory
The Intelligent Process Manufacturing Laboratory connects operations using IoT technology, enabling real-time monitoring with network-wide visibility and remote visualization of processes. Students collect data from sensors and devices, perform analytics, create a knowledge database and develop operational intelligence from manufacturing systems. Using simulation and virtualization techniques, they create digital twins to perform optimization, identify bottlenecks, correct design mistakes and explore process adjustments.
Industrial IoT Laboratory
The Industrial IoT Laboratory incorporates the design, prototyping, testing and implementation of embedded applications, allowing data from product or process to be exchanged across a network using wireless, mobile and internet technologies. Students internalize IoT, data, AI and connectivity to develop applications for remote monitoring, controlling operations across network and develop intelligent Edge applications with cloud connectivity.
